Newsroom
Katter Continues 14 Years of Calls for National Fuel Security via Robust Ethanol Mandate
March 26, 2026
Yesterday in Parliament the Premier stood on Labor’s position and refused to commit to taking tangible action on fuel security by implementing a robust ethanol mandate, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader, and Member for Traeger has said.
In opposition the LNP put three bills into Parliament to implement an ethanol mandate, then refused to support the KAP bill in 2014.
“The fuel crisis is well beyond party politics now,” Mr Katter said.
“I’ve presented this solution to Queensland Parliament more than 20 times in my 14 years in this job, and instead of investing in our fuel security for times such as today, the major parties have used it as a political football.
“Biofuels in Queensland is such an untapped opportunity, not only for agricultural development and regional jobs, but for underpinning Australia’s fuel supply.
“We have dedicated facilities ready to scale up, but we also have 17 sugar mills up and down the coast who can be value-added to, to produce ethanol as well as sugar.
“All the owners need is a signal to invest! A robust, ethanol mandate is all they need,” the KAP leader said.
For the first time, industry groups from motoring groups, farming groups, and sugar milling groups are calling for increased ethanol in Australia’s fuel mix.
“I started pushing ethanol 14 years ago when it was explained how obvious it was for us to grow feedstock and produce our own fuel,” the KAP leader said.
“In all that time, I’ve not seen farmers, millers, and now motoring groups calling for mandates on ethanol in our fuel.
“Our leaders need to stop ‘talking’ to each other, and start making decisions, making a difference.
“The Queensland ethanol industry is ready to go, and our sugar farmers and the sugar mills are ready to scale up.
“The time for action is well overdue, and there’s no better time to start than today,” the Member for Traeger said.